In this post, we will look at the world’s 50 largest public firms.
While widely vilified, and often justifiably so, the world’s largest public corporations are intimately related not only to economic growth and development, but also to the enormous improvement in quality of life that humanity has enjoyed in recent decades. Because of the economic benefits and jobs that such enterprises generate, most countries throughout the world try to provide incentives and tax advantages to them.
So, what is the primary distinction between a public and a private corporation? Founders, management, or private investors typically own a private corporation. A public corporation, on the other hand, has at least a major portion of its shares held by the general public, often known as free float. This ratio varies depending on the country’s legislation, but it is usually at least 25%, implying that the founders may still control the company even if it is publicly traded. When a company begins to expand rapidly and need additional funding, it makes its shares available to the public through an initial public offering, or IPO, by becoming listed on a stock market, and you can easily learn more about the largest IPOs of all time.
Because the general public owns a public company’s shares, the requirements that it must follow are much stricter than for private corporations, including publishing annual reports, quarterly reports, any major information updates, ESG, and much more. The world’s largest public firms are worth more than the GDP of the majority of nations, demonstrating the strength and influence that these corporations have.
While some countries do not have stock exchanges, the majority of them have, with more than 40,000 businesses listed internationally. Only 10% of these are in the United States, yet due to its advanced economy and advantageous rules and regulations, it is home to the vast majority of the world’s largest public firms. Overall, Asia has the most listed businesses, accounting for over 37% of worldwide market value. Because of the recent strengthening of the US dollar, US corporations now have a greater market capitalization than ever before. According to the Organization of Economically Developed Countries in 2019, only three holders possessed more than 50% of the capital in half of the global listed corporations, demonstrating the concentration of both influence and money.
According to the World Bank, the world’s largest public businesses have a total market worth of more than $22.5 trillion, representing more than a fifth of global GDP in 2021. These corporations dominate their respective industries and originate from a variety of industries, while technology companies are heavily represented across the list. To determine the largest listed companies, we verified their latest market cap on Yahoo Finance and converted the amount to USD where the company was listed on a foreign stock exchange for consistency. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the world’s dominant players, beginning with:
50. Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $188.2 billion.
Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), one of the world’s top automakers, has seen its share price fall by more than 12% in the last year as pressure mounts for the corporation to shift more toward electric vehicles.
49. Reliance Industries Limited
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $193.8 billion.
Reliance Industries Limited, India’s most valuable corporation, is a conglomerate with holdings in a variety of industries, including energy, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, and petrochemicals.
48. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $193.9 billion.
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is the world’s largest fast food corporation, with over 200,000 employees and over 40,000 locations globally.
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47. Hermès
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $195.4 billion.
The luxury label’s bags frequently sell for tens of thousands of pounds, with the Birkin series reaching £100,000 in value.
46. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $199.6 billion.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is a digital communications behemoth that is set to acquire Valtix to expand its Security Cloud offering.
45. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $208.7 billion.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), one of the world’s largest healthcare businesses by market capitalization, has increased its quarterly dividends after topping $40 billion in annual revenue.
44. ICBC
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $209.3 billion.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is the world’s largest bank by assets and one of the world’s largest corporations by revenue.
43. AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE:AZN)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $210.6 billion.
AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE:AZN) was one of the few pharmaceutical companies to produce a viable Covid-19 vaccine, but its efforts haven’t ended there, with its Covid medication Evushel being forwarded to regulators for clearance.
42. Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $212.2 billion.
As a result of rising oil prices, Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) reported its highest-ever profits.
41. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $216.1 billion.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of the world’s largest wholesalers, but its recent results, which are projected to show the worst sales growth in three years, are a caution to the suffering retail industry.
40. L’Oréal
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $221.3 billion.
L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics company, recorded 5.5% growth in China in a year when the market suffered considerably due to its zero-Covid policy.
39. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $229.1 billion.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical corporations, is now in talks to purchase Seagen in a deal valued more than $30 billion, and according to others, more than $40 billion.
38. International Holding Company
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $235.9 billion.
The International Holding firm, the most valuable firm in the UAE, is involved in the development of food and feed supply industries. Within three years, the corporation has climbed from relative obscurity to become one of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
37. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $237.2 billion.
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the world’s largest software firms and has consistently outperformed on key RPO measures.
36. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $238.2 billion.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is the second most valuable Chinese firm and the largest publicly traded company in the United States. Despite a significant earnings beat, Alibaba Group Holding Limited’s (NYSE:BABA) stock price increased by 6% within 24 hours of the announcement.
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35. Roche Holdings
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $237.5 billion.
Despite losing almost 25% of its market cap in just one year, the Swiss pharmaceutical company remains one of the world’s largest public firms.
34. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $242.3 billion.
A recent study suggests that drinking PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP) and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) products may result in increased testosterone and testicular enlargement.
33. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $244.1 billion.
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a provider of infrastructure software and semiconductor technologies that is currently facing an EU antitrust warning over a $61 billion VMare transaction.
32. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $254.4 billion.
ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML), one of the world’s largest semiconductor businesses, is a Dutch enterprise, and increased demand for AI chips might result in a tremendous bonanza for the company.
31. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $258.8 billion.
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), one of the world’s leading beverage firms, sells about 2 billion cups of coke every single day, and according to Business Insider, Coca Cola accounts for more than 3% of all beverages consumed globally.
30. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $273.0 billion.
AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) is a large pharmaceutical company that just gained EU approval for Rinvoq, which is used to treat Crohn’s disease.
29. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $273.8 billion.
Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), one of the world’s largest banks, has seen its stock price lag behind other major banks.
28. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $277.3 billion.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a large pharmaceutical firm with operations in dozens of countries and at least six products with revenues in excess of $1 billion apiece.
27. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $300.9 billion.
Pharma businesses have a strong position in the world’s largest public companies, and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is no exception, with its Mounjaro medication, a significant bestseller, now back in stock following a two-month stock outage.
26. The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $301.7 billion.
The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD), the world’s largest home improvement retailer, recently announced a $1 billion investment in its own employees by boosting pay for its frontline hourly colleagues.
25. Samsung Group
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $307.5 billion.
The most valuable corporation in Korea, Samsung Group’s largest company is Samsung electronics, which is one of the world’s largest TV and mobile makers and is easily among the world’s largest public companies.
24. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $310.4 billion.
Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has launched a lower carbon LNG fleet modification project following an agreement with Singapore-based Sembcorp.
23. Nestlé
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $310.7 billion.
Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage corporation, is counting on future innovation development in the wellness, nutrition, and plant-based sectors.
22. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $326.1 billion.
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO), Denmark’s most valuable firm, with manufacturing operations in nine countries and a presence in 168 countries.
21. Kweichow Moutai
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $327.4 billion.
Kweichow Moutai is the world’s most valuable alcohol company, with the Chinese firm boosting its market cap by 1% in the last year.
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20. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $328.2 billion.
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), one of the world’s largest FMCG firms, owns some of the most valuable brands, with the company witnessing sold demand in the United States despite price increases due to inflation.
19. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $338.9 billion.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA), one of the world’s top payment processing businesses, recently announced a partnership with Vesta Partner to provide better digital fraud protection services to consumers in the Asia Pacific area.
18. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $381.4 billion.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is the world’s largest retailer and also the world’s largest company by revenue, with TTM revenue over $600 billion and a net profit of $11.7 billion.
17. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $405.3 billion.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), the world’s largest pharmaceutical corporation, has been mired in court challenges for several years, with rulings generally being against it, with a recent example being the United States Supreme Court deciding to reject a pelvic mesh marketing case for over $300 million.
16. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $418.4 billion.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s (NYSE:JPM) investment arm, one of the major four banks in the United States, wiped its ESG funds clean of Adani holdings after the Hindenburg revelations caused Adani stocks to plummet.
15. Tencent Holdings
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $435.4 billion.
Tencent Holdings, the most valuable corporation in China, is a massive conglomerate that is one of the world’s largest multimedia companies.
14. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $439.6 billion.
With people’s trust in Facebook diminishing and the metaverse failing to reach the lofty heights set for it, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has seen its share price decrease significantly in recent years, yet it remains one of the world’s largest public firms.
13. LVMH
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $439.8 billion.
LVMH is a luxury goods conglomerate that has made its owner, Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest person. According to current reports, LVMH will add Cartier to its portfolio.
12. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $450.0 billion.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), one of the world’s largest oil firms, just reported its highest-ever earnings, thanks to soaring energy prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
11. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $451.6 billion.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), the world’s largest healthcare provider, recently merged with LHC Group.
10. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $452.7 billion.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing business Limited (NYSE:TSM), the world’s most valuable semiconductor business, has just announced plans to build a $7 billion plant in Japan, which is expected to open by the end of 2024.
9. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $463.1 billion.
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), one of the world’s major banking businesses, currently has over 2.5 billion cards in circulation.
8. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $585.6 billion.
While NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is best known for its graphics cards, which are used by both gamers and cryptocurrency miners, the company is also extensively invested in artificial intelligence.
7. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $657.0 billion.
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) may not be among the largest automobile businesses in terms of sales or production, but despite a disastrous 2022 that saw its share price drop by more than 50%, it is still the world’s most valuable vehicle firm.
6. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $672.8 billion.
Warren Buffett, the owner of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A), recently slammed critics of the company’s stock repurchase program, labeling them economically illiterate. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A) had its fourth-quarter operating earnings fall by 8%, despite increasing cash levels to $130 billion.
5. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $960.8 billion.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), the world’s largest online retailer, reported trailing twelve month (TTM) revenue of more than $500 million for the first time. While Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) suffered a net loss throughout the same period, its supremacy remained uninterrupted.
4. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $1,152.0 billion.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) introduced Bard to compete with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in the AI chatbot race, but several blunders have harmed its dependability. However, Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) considerable investment in AI indicates that the company is likely to achieve great success in the industry.
3. Saudi Aramco
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $1,819.0 billion.
Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil corporation, was once the most valuable firm in the world, but has now plummeted to third position.
2. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $1,862.0 billion.
The recent $10 billion acquisition of Open AI, the developers of ChatGPT, by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), generated headlines around the world, and its integration with Microsoft Bing might herald a new era of AI-integrated search engines.
1. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
The company’s total market capitalization as of February 27th, 2023 is $2,340.0 billion.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), the only firm with a market worth in excess of $2 trillion, easily tops the list of the world’s 50 largest public companies. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is also regarded as one of the most valuable brands in the world, commanding a high level of consumer devotion.
